AIBU to avoid booking the last remaining accessible hotel room?

[HonestGoldAnt]

We're looking to go away for 4 nights, UK based, in August. We'd like to book a hotel we've been to before, because we enjoyed our stay there and we have good memories of the last time we stayed there. They only have one room left. A disabled accessible room . We don't need an adapted room. Whats the etiquette here ? I dont think we should book it , and that we shoud leave it and go elsewhere, because its not morally right to take an adapted room away from someone who needs it. My DH thinks, we should book it , its the last room, and first come first serve, if someone needed it they should have booked it What is everyone's thoughts ?

YABU to book the room
YANBU to book the room

Why don’t you phone the hotel and ask?

“We were hoping to book but see the only room left is the accessible room, which we don’t actually need. Can we go ahead with the booking?”

They’ll probably say it’s fine, but you’ll feel better about it for letting the hotel make the decision.

I don't think it is like using a disabled loo. The hotel is making it available to be booked by anyone, and it will in all likelihood be booked by another able-bodied person if you turn it down.
Given that the hotel is under a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments to allow people with disabilities to use their services, I doubt that these rooms, bookable by anyone, are the only - or even the main - way in which they meet their legal obligations.

Book it but also call the hotel & say you are willing to be moved if another room becomes available-leaving the accessible room bookable for other guests

Hotels often give people these rooms without prior notice, so I don't think you need to worry. You should be aware that some non disabled people complain about the accessible bathrooms in these rooms. They tend to be wet room style for obvious reasons.

Perfect solution 👌

Book it. What if no one needs an accessible room for the dates you selected? The room stays empty and you miss out on your preferred hotel. Although it wouldn’t stay empty because someone else will book it. Why should a disabled person be put before you? If you booked it first then it’s first come first served. It’s not like there’s an alternative room for you to book is there

I would book it without even thinking twice.

They’re not solely for the use of disabled people, op…
It’ll be a tick boxing thing. You don’t really think hotels keep these rooms unoccupied whenever they don’t actually have a disabled person making a booking?

I did what @satsumas26 suggested, and checked again when we arrived and checked in. The hotel was full, with nobody wanting the accessible room.

It was a lovely and big room, but I wasn’t a fan of the level access shower with a curtain. Swings and roundabouts but it was the location that we particularly wanted.

I think you’re fine to book it if it’s the last room. But do you want the room? I don’t usually like staying in accessible rooms if it means a different style bathroom.

I wouldn't want an accessible bathroom tbh. It will be more functional than aesthetic. It may not have a full bath, just a shower/wet room area

It’s a hotel room, she’s not moving in.

It isn’t something I would do. A disabled person cannot use another type of room. You can.

Agree, I've had 2 of these in the last year. Both ended up flooding the bloody bedroom.
Both booked through work for a one night stay so just complained on checkout.

Yes this. Ask for a note on the booking saying you will swap if another guest needs an adapted room.

They won’t keep the room unoccupied in case a disabled person comes along. It’ll be offered to the next person who wants to book a room, whoever they are.

OP can’t though as there isn’t another room available.

Depends if you are prepared to accept the functionality of the room - walk in wet room maybe, handle bars etc. It may not be the vibe you are looking for.

Yes but I book hotel rooms to relax in. I would want a proper bath and bathroom.

YANBU disabled people come across certain rooms as first come first served as well, just like parking spaces.

I wouldn’t book it though. For the reasons given.

It's fine to book it. They leave those rooms to be booked last, meaning that if someone who DID need it booked at the same time as anyone else, they'd be able to get the room they needed. A disabled person doesn't have greater priority than you to have the last remaining room - at this point it's available for anyone as it's the last option :).

It's really lovely that you've been so thoughtful about this, though. Not many would care.

I would book it, but email the hotel to let them know you don't actually require an accessible room.

Then if any of the other guests do, they can be moved into your room - but if a hotel has [100] rooms, but offer accessible accommodation in [5] of them, no one is happy if everyone keeps those 5 rooms free and then there are no guests who need accessible rooms so the hotel loses out on revenue. It becomes a disincentive to offer accessible rooms if they have a lower occupancy rate than the average room in the hotel.

I'm not sure I'd book it, we were given an accessible room once as it was the only room left and it was a nightmare using the bathroom. Once someone had had a shower, the floor was soaked and then made it very difficult for the other person to use/pop in to use the toilet. It didn't dry out well between showers at all as it had a shower curtain. It was functional rather than attractive, and I felt a bit short changed given how lovely the room had been when we'd gone before.